A collective bargaining public hearing is scheduled for today at 6p.m. in the old Iowa Supreme Court chamber.

On this Legislative Day edition of River to River, guest host Dean Borg and IPR statehouse correspondent Joyce Russell host a conversation with union leaders, lawmakers, and proponents on either side of the issue to discuss the impact of the proposed changes.

A bill to scale back the rights of public workers got its first airing at the statehouse today, one day after it was introduced to broad and noisy criticism. Public workers told house and senate panels the bill guts Iowa’s collective bargaining law which they say has helped raise the standard of living for 130,000 state, county, city, and school employees.

Some local governments are opposing legislation in the Republican-controlled Iowa house that would stop cities and counties from setting an hourly wage that’s higher than the state minimum. If the legislation becomes law this would lower the hourly wages in Johnson, Linn, Polk and Wapello counties.

Since 2008, Iowa’s minimum wage has been $7.25, which is also the federal minimum. Many argue in 2017 that’s not enough.